Elevate Construction

In this short but powerful segment, Barbara Hettinger walks Jason and Kate through a guided breathing meditation designed to calm the nervous system and quiet a wandering mind. Using a simple triangle-breathing pattern, in, hold, and out for three counts each, she shows that meditation isn't about doing it "right," but about gently returning your attention to your breath every time it drifts. It's a practical, judgment-free reset that only takes a few minutes but can genuinely shift your state.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• A simple triangle-breathing technique you can use anywhere to calm your mind
• Why there's no "wrong way" to meditate, and why a wandering mind is completely normal
• How consistently practicing this kind of breathing can change your brain structure over time
• Why even a few minutes of guided breathing can lower anxiety, not just in the moment but overall

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Jason sits down with Ryan Englin, founder of the Core Fit Hiring System, to tackle a problem that trips up nearly every growing construction company: how to actually attract and hire great people, not just retain the ones you already have. Ryan breaks down why people don't leave jobs, they leave bad managers and toxic cultures, and why recruiting should be treated as a marketing activity rather than a bureaucratic process. From building a clear company "core story" to fixing broken employee referral programs to rethinking why an entire generation walked away from the trades, this conversation lays out a real, practical system for building a team people actually want to join.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why people leave managers and cultures, not jobs, and what that means for how you recruit
• Why recruiting works better as a marketing activity than a compliance-driven HR process
• The real reason employee referral programs succeed (hint: it's about having a friend at work)
• A step-by-step hiring system: core, targeting, automation, interviewing, onboarding, and ongoing engagement
• Why an entire generation of workers quietly left the trades for white-collar jobs, and what the industry can do to win them back

If your best people were asked honestly why they wouldn't refer a friend to come work with you, what do you think they'd say?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Jason welcomes back Barbara Hettinger and his wife Kate for a deeply important conversation about the pressure crushing people in construction, including alarmingly high suicide rates in the industry. Using a powerful plumbing analogy, Barbara walks through the idea of proactive "shut-off valves," small, timely repairs to our mental and emotional health, versus waiting for a full system breakdown. The episode also includes a real guided breathing meditation, and closes with an honest, vulnerable conversation about pride, asking for help, and why no one expects you to fix everything alone.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why construction has one of the highest suicide rates of any industry, and what that says about how workers are treated
• The plumbing "shut-off valve" analogy for doing proactive emotional repair before a full breakdown happens
• Why numbing (alcohol, overwork, avoidance) differs from healthy, temporary retreat to repair and reset
• A real guided breathing meditation you can use to calm your mind in just a few minutes
• Why reaching out for help, whether therapy, coaching, or a peer group, is a sign of strength, not weakness

Where in your own life do you need to do proactive repair right now, before it turns into a full shutdown?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Jason dives into a book recommended by Hal Macomber, The Triumph of Classical Management over Lean Management, to answer a question that's been nagging him: why doesn't the construction industry adopt the systems that would actually protect its people? He unpacks why executives, disconnected from the daily reality of field work, often lack the motivation to change, why it's easier for leadership to make quick, surface-level decisions than to do the hard work of real transformation, and why protected leadership "brotherhoods" resist disruption. It's one of Jason's most passionate episodes yet, calling for the industry to treat worker harm as a public health emergency and to stop tolerating companies that profit while hurting the people doing the work.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why most executives lack real motivation to adopt Lean systems that would protect workers
• The difference between "easy" leadership decisions (hire, fire, delegate) and the harder work of training, motivating, and building real systems
• Why protected leadership circles resist change even when good ideas exist
• Why Jason believes the industry needs to treat worker harm as a public health emergency, not just an unfortunate reality
• A call to elevate competition and accountability so companies that mistreat workers can no longer thrive

Is your company actually driving the systems that protect your people, or is it protecting the comfort of leadership instead?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Jason reads Brian Winningham's article on the mental health crisis in construction, sharing sobering CDC data showing the industry's suicide rate far exceeds that of veterans and the general public. He unpacks why physical strain, time away from family, and cultural neglect create this crisis, and closes with a heartfelt call for compassion, better mental health support, and real cultural change in the industry.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why construction's suicide rate exceeds even that of combat veterans
• How physical demands, isolation, and burnout compound mental health risk
• Why saying yes to every schedule demand quietly costs people their wellbeing
• What companies can do to start real suicide prevention programs
• Why compassion, not judgment, must guide how we talk about this crisis

What would it look like for your company to put people's mental health ahead of the schedule this week?

This episode touches on suicide, a sensitive topic. If you're personally struggling, I'm glad to help you find support resources.

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Jason shares the five hazardous attitudes from the pilot's handbook, anti-authority, impulsivity, invulnerability, macho, and resignation, and maps each one directly onto the mindset traps that can quietly derail a superintendent or project manager.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why anti-authority thinking leads leaders to ignore rules that protect them
• How impulsivity skips the thinking needed before real action
• Why believing it won't happen to you increases real project risk
• How macho risk taking mimics the same trap that downs pilots
• Why resignation quietly convinces leaders they cannot make a difference

Which of these five hazardous attitudes shows up most in how you lead?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Jason talks with Zaid Rahman, CEO of FlexBase, about why cash flow, not productivity, is the number one killer of construction businesses. Zaid explains how FlexBase's credit card offers 0% interest for 60 days, and how the platform aims to become a single hub for invoicing, payments, and cash flow visibility for small contractors.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why cash flow, not productivity, is construction's biggest hidden problem
• How getting paid 100 days late creates massive risk for small contractors
• What the FlexBase card's 60-day interest free window actually offers
• Why most small businesses lack the tools to see cash flow trends clearly
• How blockchain could eventually reshape construction payment tracking

If cash flow, not lack of work, is what kills most businesses, is your company actually tracking it or just hoping it works out?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Jason and John Coffman talk about making every job a once in a lifetime job, using John's first project as a superintendent, three Apache helicopter hangars hit by a tornado and finished 20 days early despite chaos, to show how positive leadership creates loyalty that lasts careers.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How a tornado-damaged hangar still finished 20 days ahead of schedule
• Why an electrician calling the job "once in a lifetime" was the real compliment
• How rewarding a painter's extra work built a lasting subcontractor relationship
• Why command and control gives way to positive, assertive leadership
• The sobering suicide rate data showing construction's true mental health toll

Are you building jobs people will call once in a lifetime, or just jobs they survive?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

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Jason and John Coffman dig into the hidden cost of material handling, sharing a story of plywood moved repeatedly across a jobsite because no one planned its delivery, and a third floor lay down area at a secure embassy job that turned into a hard, immediate correction.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why material handling can add 25 to 100 percent to activity costs
• How a time-lapse camera exposed wasted plywood movement on site
• Why a messy lay down area demands immediate, firm correction
• How a well organized lay down area signals a superintendent's real competence
• Why crews are most productive when materials, not motivation, are the problem

Does your jobsite's lay down area reflect a plan, or just where things happened to land?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

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Jason finishes reading Elevating Construction Senior Superintendents, covering the sixteen blocks to leadership and the seven deadly sins that stall superintendents at the Super 2 level, from not holding people accountable to keeping the plan locked in their own head.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• The sixteen blocks that quietly hold leaders back from real influence
• Why not delegating traps leaders in low-level, unimportant work
• How keeping the plan in your head creates chaos, not control
• Why little builder experience leaves supers unable to truly lead trades
• How refusing to learn and adapt turns a career stagnant and dangerous

Which of the seven deadly sins is quietly stalling your own career right now?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw